Georgia delegates unite for George W. Bush

Posted: Wednesday, September 01, 2004

By Brian BasingerMorris News Service

NEW YORK - Heeding a request from party leaders for unity, Georgia delegates to this week's Republican National Convention are putting aside their intraparty squabbles over divisive issues like the federal deficit and abortion to focus instead on helping President Bush win re-election.

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The so-called "big tent" mentality was also stressed last month at the Democratic convention in Boston, where Sen. John Kerry accepted his party's presidential nomination amid differing opinions from delegates on the war in Iraq, gay marriage and tax cuts.

So far, most GOP speakers here - including U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani - have stayed on task with consensus-building remarks that avoided heavy religious overtones some say were injurious to the GOP's 1992 convention.

"I have never felt such energy, such enthusiasm, such unity," Ralph Reed, former head of the Christian Coalition and the Southern regional leader for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign, said Wednesday shortly before addressing the Georgia delegation's morning caucus. "Remember, we had no primary (election) challenge this year, so unlike 1992 or 1980 or '76, we didn't have to bring the party back together once we got here. Everybody here is unified. The energy is off the charts."

Still the call for cohesive convention hasn't stopped some delegates from pointing out that they differ from the president on several key issues and want to see some changes made if Bush nets a second term.

"I support him at the end of the day, but some of the spending at the federal level needs to go down a little bit," said Watkinsville delegate Jay Hanley. "We need to work on that a little, and the border control. He needs to be tough on immigration policy. It's too much of burden to add on to social services. There are too many social programs already."

The White House has drawn criticism from within its own ranks this year after forecasting the federal deficit will hit a record $440 billion. Some say the Bush's administration's handling of the nation's purse strings runs counter to the economic policy held by many Republicans, who have long prided themselves on being fiscally responsible.

"I love the president, but there are some things I don't agree with him on and that's one," said Fayetteville delegate Jean Studdard, who still plans to support the president because of his leadership in the war on terror and the war in Iraq.

Preventing hot-button issues from dominating this week's convention speeches is critical for Bush, especially in this year's close presidential horse race where appealing to moderate and swing voters will be key, said Merle Black, an Emory University political science professor.

"The Republicans can't win without the support of independent and perhaps some conservative Democratic voters," he said. "I think for all the complaints the delegates may have, they are going to be enthusiastic and work hard for Bush's re-election. The alternative is John Kerry and they have virtually nothing in common with him."

Hull delegate Suzanne Hudgens, wife of Republican state Sen. Ralph Hudgens, was confident the unified message of the GOP was getting through to the public. Almost all recent polls show Bush tied with Kerry, and leading in the ever-important Electoral College.

"We feel like we're the ones who are going to make a difference in America," she said. "We feel if it goes the Kerry-Democrat way, America will become totally socialistic, not the America we've known, the free enterprise."

The Kerry campaign has countered such charges, saying the Democratic ticket is focusing heavily on growth in the nation's economy and job market, while at the same time targeting a proposed tax increase only at those making more than $200,000 annually.